Onderwerp: Je grootste blunder?

An embarrassing moment ...

Since my arrival in Estonia, I have found everyone extremely helpful and very hospitable. This morning I tested Estonian efficiency to its limit, and it came up trumps! It is, in many ways, a slightly embarrassing tale, but here goes.

It began soon after 7 o'clock this morning. The boat was hit by the wash from a passing pilot boat, and began rolling madly from side to side. I could hear things falling over in the cabin. After such a wakening, I thought I might as well get up.

I tried opening the door to the main cabin, but found it would open only a few centimetres. I was baffled for a moment or two, then realised what had happened. Next to the cabin door is the galley, with drawers for knives and forks, and so on. I must have left one of them unlatched, and it had slid open, blocking the door [the photo below, taken after the event, shows what I mean].



How to escape? There were two small hatches to the cabin, but they were just for ventilation. There were no panels I could unscrew to get out, and anyway, I had no tools with me. I was the only boat on the pontoon with anyone aboard. Then I remembered - my mobile phone, which I hadn't used since I had left Britain, was in the cabin! Maybe I could ring someone in England ... but there's a two hour time difference, so it was about 0530 there. Then they'd have to go onto the Internet, find Parnu Yacht Club, and call them from the UK ... maybe not. There was one option. Emergency numbers ...

I dialled the number. I got an answer, not surprisingly, in Estonian. I had to explain I was British ... yes? ... and I was locked on a yacht ... a yacht? you want sea rescue? ... no, no, no, I am at Parnu Yacht Club ... baffled silence, then which city? ... Parnu, the Yacht Club ... okay, name of boat? And this goes on a for a little while, until she hangs up.

I was a little worried - would she think I was a lunatic? (No comment) A hoaxer? Then I hear in the distance da, da, da, da .... The Fire Brigade was on its way!

I did have one other way of drawing attention to myself (apart from shouting in a very British way, 'Um, excuse me? Do you think you could give me a hand here?') - this was getting a coathanger, sticking a cap on top, putting my arm out of the hatch, and waving it about, hoping to attract someone's attention.

The thunder of feet down the pontoon! Chap in civvies climbs on, and we have a slightly awkward conversation - 'Er, no, not that hatch there, that one ... yes, it slides ... now if you could just close the drawer ...' And out I come, dishevelled, dressed in pyjamas. On the pontoon were four firemen, in their gear, helmets, the lot, carrying axes and hammers. I looked at these slightly apprehensively. The civvie said something to them. They all looked rather disappointed. 'Sorry for calling you out,' I babbled, 'very helpful ...' The civvie gave me a disdainful look and they walked away down the pontoon.

I suppose calling the emergency services might have been a bit over the top. Someone might have gone down the pontoon later in the morning (although I had no way of telling that someone was there). The sailmaker was due to call later that day ... on the other hand being stuck in the cabin for several hours did not appeal! I went round to the fire station later with a bottle of vodka to say thank you - a young Estonian women translated to one of the firefighters [not one that had come that morning] and promised to pass the bottle on. I hope she did.

Memo: check the drawers before going to bed. Keep the number of the local harbourmaster in the cabin!

Een voordeel, het is natuurlijk "maar" een bavaria, dus als je hard naar de deur kijkt gaatie vanzelf open.

Alle Deuren gaan bij mij naar binnen open! Niet altijd makkelijk, wel veilig.....

En dan moet je als zeiler ook member worden natuurlijk.

Tuurlijk, wie niet?

Vanaf het IJselmeer Friesland weer in bij Lemmer in de sluis. Voor me lagen een aantal motorbootjes en ik lag als voorste zeiljacht. Sluisdeuren gaan open en de bootjes voor me gaan er allemaal vandoor. Ik als een blinde kip er achteraan met half gas tot ik bellen hoor rinkelen en er tot mijn schaamte achter kom dat de brug nog dicht zit... daarom deden de jachten achter me dus zo rustig aan met losgooien

Met een flinke stoot achteruitslaan was er niks aan de hand maar ik had er geen 10 seconden later achter moeten komen!